Ice tray



June 14, 1949'- M.- slEBlG'rI-:ROTH 2,473,178

ICE TRAY I Filed June 2s, i947 31E-..4 y 2a 37'28 l 2O I7 532a5|9 gas w 3| (En /13 2 se l Il /4- O 37 v 4l Il l 33m 29 la lo `la |g 40 le 4 INVENTOR. /VAX/M/L/A/Y 5MB/@rino TH ATTORNEYS Patented June 14, 1949 Maximilian Sebigt'eroth, Detroit, Mich.. assignor t'o Charles B. Kempf Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Application J une 23, 1947, Serial No. 756,352

SClaimS. k(Cl. (i2-108.5)

This invention relates to anice tray such as isused in dometic refrigerators and more particularly to an improved grid constructionfor an ice tray.

In my copending application Serial No. 705,726, led October 25, 194.6, there is disclosed a grid for an ice tray in which the grid partition walls are arranged in zig-zag relation to form a plurality of triangular ice compartments above and below the partitions. VThe adjacent walls are bodily movable with respect to each other and are arranged to slide one upon the other so as t'o eject the ice cubes -retained above the grid partition. The cubes below the partition may be removed by torsionally flexing the tray.

It is an object of this .invention to provide means `for the type of tray disclosed in my copen'ding application above referred to for breaking the bond between the ice cubes vbelow the grid partitions and walls of the tray so that the cubes above and below the grid partition may be removed from the tray by a single operation without the necessity of iiexing the tray.

Other objects and improvements of vmy grid construction will become obvious upon reading the following specification in conjunction with the ydrawings in which:

"Figure 1 is a lperspective View of an ice tray and grid embodying my invention.

Figure 2 `is a sectional view taken substantially 1, along line 2-2 of 4Figure 1. y

"Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the operation of the grid for removing the ice blocks above the grid partition.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing the follow-through operation of 'the grid member for breaking the ice cubes below the partition free of the tray.

Referring n'ow to the drawings, there vis shown a conventional ice tray I having end walls III preferably inclined outwardly with respect to the bottom wall 12 of the tray. Within the tray I0 a grid I3 is adapted vto .be removably retained. The grid is made up of a 'plurality of transverse partitions 'I4 and I6 which arearranged in( zig. zag relation longitudinally of the tray toform a plurality of ice freezing compartments I'I and I8 above and below the .grid partitions respectively. The tray is further divided by a central longitudinal partition 'I9 which comprises an upper `and lower divider 20 and 2| respectively. Dividers 20 and 2| are interconnected at one Lend by a handle' 22 which is pivoted on divider 2|) as at23 and on divider 2| as-at 24.

AIn order to effect 'readyremoval of vthe `ice ever, may not result in breakingof the bond `be- 2 cubes within the compartments, v, transversepar titions |4 are mounted so as to be movable with divider 20 andpartitions I6 are mounted and movable with divider 2|. These partitions may be mounted on their respective dividers by any suitable means. For the purpose of economy in manufacture I prefer to employ cooperatingslots on the dividers and partitions for accomplish-ing this. with a plurality of inclined slots which ex tend downwardly toward'the handle end of the grid. Partitions I4 are slotted centrally fromV the lower edge upwardlyas at 26 so that they may beinserted in slots 25and retained on the upper divider 20 in this manner. In the same manner divider 2| is provided along its upper edge with parallel slots 121 inclined oppositely to slots 25. lPartitions I6 are slotted at both the upper and flower edge as at `28 and 29 leaving integral portion 30 which supports the partition within slot 2"| `on divider 2|. Slots 25 and 2l may be peened at their upper ledges yas at 3| to .prevent the partitions :from falling 01T the divider when the grid is manipulated. At the end of 'the grid opposite handle 22 divider `2|) .-is slotted "downwardly 'from its top edge as at 32 and divider v2| is slotted at its lower edge as Aat* 33. The end `partition `I6 is slotted downwardly from its 'upper edgeA as at 34 and retained within slot 33 on divider '2|. The upper end of slot 34 is peene'd inwardly so as to provide a ,pair of nibs 35 which are guided Within slot 32 and abut against the lower end thereof 'to limit the vertical movement 'of divider' 20 with' respect to divider 2 As is shown more'cl'early vin Figure 3, handle 22 'is' pivoted to divider'Z and y2| sojthat when the handle y22 'is' lifted, u'divider 2| israi'sed and moved longitudinaliy towardstlie handle end of the grid. To eiect asimilar combined vertical and longitudinal movement of th'e other end of divider 20, divider 2| is provided with an upwardly lprojecting Vca-rn portion 36 which engages a recess 31 on 4divider 20 and Serves to lift the' end of the upper divider when itis 'moved vforwardly'by handle 22.

It will be readily understood 'that by lifting handle 22 partitions lI4 slide upwardly over parti tions I6 and 'ejectthe Icubes in the 'compartments above these partitions. This movement, .how-

tween Ithe ice blocks Vin 'the lower compartments and the wallsvand bottom of the ice tray. In order to effect a .removal of lthese -cubes the end .38 o'f divider .2| .opposite the handleend :of @the Divider 20 is provided along its top 'edge' grid is spaced from the end wall H of the tray, so as to permit limited longitudinal movement of divider 2| within the tray. Handle 22 is provided with a cam portion 39 which is arranged to engage the adjacent end wall Il of the tray when the handle is raised. The camming action resulting from this movement serves to shift the lower divider 2 I forwardly in the tray to a position where its end 38 abuts against the opposite end wall il of the tray. Since partitions I6 are mounted on and movable with divider 2 i, the ice blocks in the lower compartments are broken loose from the tray by the forward movement of these partitions.

To further aid the removal of ice blocks from Within the compartments and especially the blocks within end compartment Il opposite the handle end of the grid, the bottom wall l2 of the tray may be provided with one or more upwardly projecting cam portions as indicated at 40 and thelower grid member 2| with complementary recesses 4i which are disposed so as to cooperate with the cam portions on the bottom wall of the tray when the grid is inserted within the tray in the collapsed condition. It will be observed that when handle 22 is raised so that cam portion 39 engages the end wall il of the tray the lower longitudinal partition member 2l is moved forwardly in the tray and at the same time rides up over the cam portions 40 so that an upward impressive force is exerted in the block within end compartment Il as well as a lateral force.

It will thus be seen that the grid construction provided effects a ready removal of all the ice blocks from the tray in a simpleand eicient manner. If it is desired to remove only the ice blocks above the grid partition, handle 22 is raised slightly as is shown in Figure 3 to slide partitions l' upwardly along partitions I 6. The ice blocks in the upper compartments are thereby broken loose from the tray and grid and may be readily withdrawn from the tray. The ice blocks in the lower compartments together with the ice block at the end of the grid opposite handle 22 are broken loose from the grid and tray upon further upward movement of handle 22 as is shown in Figure 4, The camming action of cam 39 against end wall Il shifts divider 2l and partitions forwardly in the tray with sufcient force to break the lower row of ice blocks and the end block free from the tray and grid walls. The grid may then be removed from the tray and the loose ice blocks readily withdrawn.

I claim:

1. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal partition which comprises an upper and lower member, a plurality of transverse partitions forming transverse walls and dividing the tray into a plurality of compartments, one transverse wall of each compartment being connected to and movable with said upper member and the other transverse wall of each compartment being connected to and movable with said lower member, manually operable means cooperating with said upper and lower members for imparting bodily movement to said upper member relative to said lower member so that one transverse wall of each of said compartments is bodily moved with respect to the other transverse wall of said compartment and means for bodily moving said lower member with respect to said tray so that the transverse walls connected to said member are bodily moved with respect to the walls of said tray.

2. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal partition which comprises an upper and lower member, a plurality of transverse partitions forming transverse walls and dividing the tray into a plurality of compartments, one transverse wall of each compartment being connected to and movable with said upper rnembe1` and the other transverse wall of each compartment being connected to and movable with said lower member, manually operable means -cooperating with said upper and lower members for imparting bodily movement to said upper member relative to said lower member so that one transverse wall of each compartment is bodily moved with respect to the other transverse wall of said compartment and means actuated by said manually operable means for bodily moving said lower member with respect to said tray so that the transverse walls connected to said member are bodily moved with respect to the walls of said tray.

3. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal partition which comprises an upper and lower member, a plurality of transverse partitions dividing the tray into a plurality of compartments adapted to retain blocks of frozen substance, the adjacent transverse walls of said compartments being disposed at an angle to each other and being arranged so that one wall is movable with said upper member and the other wall is movable with said lower member, manually operable means connected to said upper member and to said lower member for imparting bodily movement to said upper member and the transverse walls movable therewith with respect to said lower member and the transverse walls movable therewith, said tray having a greater length than said lower longitudinal member, and cam means arranged to be actuated by said manually operable meansY to engage an end wall of said tray for imparting bodily movement to said lower member and the transverse walls movable therewith relative to said tray whereby the blocks frozen in some of said compartments are separated from said tray by the bodily movement of said upper member and the remainder of the blocks frozen in said compartments are separated from said tray by the bodily movement of said lower member.

4. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal partition which comprises an upper and lower member, a plurality of transverse partitions arranged in zig-zag relation to divide the tray into a plurality of triangular shaped compartments above and below said transverse partitions which are adapted to retain blocks of frozen substance, one transverse wall of each of said compartments being connected and movable with said upper member and the other transverse wall being connected to and movable with said lower member, handle means connecting said upper and lower members and arranged to move said upper member and the transverse partitions connected thereto relative to said lower member and the transverse partitions connected thereto to eiect a, removal of the frozen blocks in said upper compartments, and cam means for bodily moving said lower member and the transverse partitions connected thereto relative to said tray to facilitate the separation of the frozen blocks in said lower compartments from the walls of said tray.

5. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal partition which comprises two members positioned one above the other, a plurality of transverse walls disposed in zig-zag relation to divide the tray into a plurality of compartments adapted to retain a substance to be frozen, one of said walls of each compartment being movable with said upper longitudinal member and the adjacent transverse wall being movable with said lower longitudinal member, handle means for separating said longitudinal members to produce movement of one wall of each of said compartments with respect to its adjacent wall, and cam means engageable with the end wall of said tray for bodily moving said lower longitudinal member within said tray whereby the walls movable with said lower longitudinal member exert a compressive force against the blocks of frozen substance disposed beneath such Walls to separate said blocks from the walls of the tray.

6. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal partition which comprises two members positioned one above the other, a plurality of transverse walls disposed in zig-zag relation to divide the tray into a plurality of compartments adapted to retain a substance to be frozen, one of said walls of each Ycompartment being movable with said upper longitudinal member and the adjacent transverse wall being movable with said lower longitudinal member, handle means for separating said longitudinal members to produce movement of one wall of each of said compartments with respect to its adjacent wall, said tray having a greater length than said lower longitudinal member, and cam means on said handle means engageable with an end wall of said tray and arranged to produce longitudinal movement of said lower longitudinal member within said tray when said handle means are actuated whereby the blocks of frozen substance disposed beneath the walls movable with said lower longitudinal member are separated from the walls of said tray.

7. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal partition which comprises two members positioned one above the other, a plurality of transverse walls disposed in zig-zag relation to divide the tray into a plurality of compartments adapted to retain a substance to be frozen, one of said walls of each compartment being movable with said upper longitudinal member and the adjacent transverse wall being movable with said lower longitudinal member, handle means for separating said longitudinal members to produce movement of one wall of each of said compartments with respect to its adjacent wall, said tray having a greater length than said lower longitudinal member, and cam means arranged to engage an end wall of said tray when said handle means are fully actuated to produce movement of said lower longitudinal member within said tray whereby the blocks of frozen substance disposed beneath the walls movable with said lower longitudinal member are separated from the walls of said tray.

8. In a sharp freezing container the combination of a tray and a grid adapted to be removably positioned in said tray, said grid comprising a longitudinal .partition which comprises an upper and lower member, a plurality of transverse partitions dividing the tray into a plurality of compartments adapted to retain blocks of frozen substance, the adjacent transverse walls of said compartments being disposed at an angle to each other and being arranged so that one wall is movable with said upper member and the other wall is movable with said lower member, manually operable means connected to said upper member and to said lower member for imparting bodily movement to said upper member and the transverse walls movable therewith with respect to said lower member and the transverse walls movable therewith, said tray being greater in length than said lower longitudinal member, cam means actuated by said manually operable means to enga-ge an end wall of said tray for moving said lower member and the transverse walls movable therewith longitudinally within said tray, and cam means acting between said lower member and the bottom of said tray for raising said lower member within said tray when the lower member is moved longitudinally whereby the blocks frozen in some of said compartments are separated from said tray by the bodily movement of said upper member and the others of the blocks frozen in said compartments are separated from said tray by the bodily movement of said lower member.

M'AMMILIAN SIEBIGTEROTH.

No references cited. 

